Salmon Burgers with Scallion Cream Cheese

Have you been wondering what happened to me? We've had a crazy week and haven't been having anything interesting for dinner, so I didn't bother to update. Tuesday night we had a tofu stir fry that was similar to the Peanutty Udon Noodles with Tofu I made awhile back, only I didn't use any noodles. So really it was just tofu, a bag of frozen stir fry veggies, and the Thai peanut sauce I bought at Costco. Wednesday night we had some pizzas I got at Costco. Yesterday I was taking dinner to a friend that just had a baby, so we had the same thing that I took them--macaroni and cheese and pigs in a blanket. We were originally going to have these salmon burgers last night, but when I told the husband what I was taking to my friend, he requested we have that too. Actually he asked if I could set aside a couple of the pigs in a blanket for him, but I thought that was tacky, so I changed our menu plan a bit. I was kind of bummed because I've been so excited for these burgers, but it all worked out.

So, this recipe is from the Meal Planning 101 blog I like so much. Jen B. made it a few weeks ago and invited me over for lunch for the leftovers. Lordy mama, were these ever tasty!! The husband isn't a big fan of salmon, but he'll just have to tough it out because I cannot live the rest of my life without consuming these again. I happened to find some salmon fillets on manager's special recently, so I felt the stars were aligning for me to make this.

The title of the recipe links to the recipe post on the original website.

Salmon Burgers with Scallion Cream Cheese
4 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets, cut into large chunks
1 tbsp grill seasoning
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tbsp sesame seeds
3 tbsp chopped fresh dill
Olive oil for drizzling
1/2 cup softened cream cheese
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp lemon juice

Lettuce,
Tomato, sliced
Red onion, sliced
Crusty kaiser rolls, split and toasted

Place the chunks of salmon in the food processor and pulse just until the salmon is coarsely ground. Transfer the meat to a mixing bowl and add grill seasoning, poppy seeds, sesame seeds and dill. Mix until everything is combined well. Divide the mixture into four equal portions and form into burger patties. Drizzle a little bit of olive oil over each side of the burger.

Preheat your grill or a frying pan over medium high heat. If using a grill, spray with cooking spray and if using frying pan drizzle a bit of olive oil in the pan. I like my burgers well done so I cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side. If you like your salmon still a bit pink in the middle, cook only 3 minutes on each side. If using your stove top, turn your oven on to broil.

While the salmon burgers are cooking, mix together the softened cream cheese and green onions. Stir in the sour cream. Place the crusty rolls face down on the grill or under the broiler, and toast.

Assemble the burgers by spreading the scallion cream cheese over the toasted buns, top with the salmon burger, a piece of lettuce, tomato and onion.

*****

Mmmmm...I cannot wait for dinner tonight! I think I might do them on the grill and grill some potatoes along with them. I remember having a grilled potato recipe that I made last summer which we really liked, so I think I'll dig that up and make. I also need to make whole wheat hamburger buns this afternoon to go with these. It's going to be a busy afternoon in my kitchen because today is my grandma's 91st birthday, and tomorrow night is her birthday dinner. I'm making creme brulee for dessert for her dinner, so I need to whip that up today as it has to sit overnight. You have no idea how many times I've been reminding myself this week that I need to do that today.

I'm so glad it's almost the weekend. This week has been crazy busy and next week isn't looking to be any better. Then the boys and I are going to San Diego for a week with my mom. I'll be glad when things start to calm down--although hopefully a week of hanging out on the beach will be calming.

*****

Sadly, I don't think we'll be having these again. I was the only one that liked them. I gave the boy half a burger, and he ate the bottom bun and that was it. The husband ate his but said he's still burned out on salmon. Sigh. I was really hoping these would turn him around on salmon so we could have them again.

Smoked Salmon Dip

My grandma turned 90 last Thursday, and we had her weekend birthday celebration this past Saturday and Sunday. My whole family was in town for it which was so fun. Saturday night we had a party for her at my mom's house, then yesterday we all went to brunch. For the past several years my grandma has had a happy hour party for her birthday...drinks and appetizers. We all bring a few things, and it's usually quite the feast. This year was no exception. My uncle made stuffed mushrooms, my mom made a seven layer dip, artichoke dip, and a crab spread, there was a cheese and cracker tray, a veggie tray, and I made baked brie, two kinds of hummus, and this smoked salmon dip. Jealous you weren't there, aren't you? Oh, and since I can't drink I made a yummy punch with ginger ale, white grape juice, and pineapple juice. When I'm not pregnant, I may make it with some vodka or Malibu.

Anyway, back to the dip recipe. I saw it in the March issue of Cooking Light and thought it sounded awesome. I had originally planned on doing baked brie and prosciutto wrapped asparagus for the party (yes, we start planning early), but when I saw this I decided to skip the asparagus (although if you've never had prosciutto wrapped asparagus, I highly recommend you try it) and make the smoked salmon dip instead. It was super easy and super yummy. The husband and I just about finished up what was left for dinner last night.

Smoked Salmon Dip
(8-ounce) tub light cream cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 ounces smoked salmon, chopped, divided
Dill sprigs (optional)

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a food processor. Add half of salmon; process until smooth. Fold in remaining half of salmon. Garnish with dill sprigs, if desired.

*****

I love fresh dill, and any excuse to use it is a good one with me. And Trader Joe's had organic fresh dill for super cheap, so that's even better. I didn't use tub cream cheese, I used a regular block and it worked fine. The color of the dip is really pretty after the salmon is processed with the cream cheese. I had a hard time getting my chopped salmon folded in evenly, but it didn't seem to matter too much. And normally I'm not much of a garnisher, but I did this time since it was a special occasion. Wish I would have taken a picture of it because I even used a fancy bowl for it. You know those fancy bowls...you got them as a wedding present and now they sit in the back of a cabinet and maybe get used once a year. I used Kashi's TLC 7-grain crackers with it, and they were really good.

Dinner Review

The salmon was really good!! I think it was on the grill closer to 25 minutes, instead of the 20 listed in the recipe. I really like the sauce and will definitely use this recipe again.

The orzo was good, as always, although I forgot to add the salt and pepper. The husband couldn't tell, but I could taste that something was missing. Using fresh basil really makes a difference. I've used dried before with decent results, but fresh really adds a lot to it.

Tomorrow night's recipe...Portobello Pita Pockets!